Baking & Snack - April 2018 - 46

PRETZELS, INC.

(From left) Steve Huggins, coCEO of Pretzels, Inc.; Elizabeth
Avery, SNAC International
president and CEO; and William
"Chip" Mann II, also co-CEO of
the company, network at the association's Executive Leadership
Forum in Colorado last fall.

Reading Thermal Scorpion system to monitor and set
the oven temperature and document a kill step for the
filled pretzels. Mr. Schaum noted that a kill step requires
an internal temperature of 365˚F for three minutes during the bake.
After leaving the kiln, the nuggets travel up a Frazier
& Son bucket conveyor to a ceiling conveyor that takes
them 50 ft. over to the 75˚F temperature-controlled
packaging department. Here, circulated air cools
the nuggets as they move along a Heat and Control
FastBack horizontal conveyor. Pretzels, Inc., worked
with about a dozen Austin consultants to ensure the
nuggets, which leave the oven at 260˚F, enter the baggers at about 105˚F.
In the packaging room, Mettler Toledo and CEIA
THS systems provide metal detection and quality control. The department also features Heat and Control
vibratory conveyors and four Ishida scales. The various versatile packaging systems include Heat and
Control vertical/form/fill/seal baggers and a PSG Lee
ziplock system for the company's popular resealable
pouch bags. Typically, the systems crank out 44 bags
per minute. The department also packages pretzels in
plastic barrels and even plastic-lined cartons for bulk
customers.
Operators manually load the bags into cases that are
also sealed and palletized. Overall, the line produces
about 25,000 lb of filled pretzels every 12 hours, according to Mr. Schaum.
Mr. Mann noted Pretzels, Inc., plans to build another
dedicated packaging room when the plant installs the

SNAC International

second line this summer. That will allow the operation
to produce two different varieties of pretzels without
cross contamination of allergens and a greater number
of packaging formats at the same time.

Running down a dream
For Mr. Mann and Mr. Huggins, the Plymouth expansion represents a sustained investment in Pretzels,
Inc., that dates back to when their fathers - Bill
Mann and Bill Huggins - founded the company in
1978. "We have continually reinvested back in our
plants with capital infusions," Mr. Huggins noted.
"Over time, that's helped us be successful versus the
smaller private label operators that have not made
those key capital investments."

"We were dark on the shelf
with our filled pretzels,
so there was a sense
of urgency to rebuild as
quickly as possible."
William "Chip" Mann II, Pretzels, Inc.

This January, for instance, the Bluffton facility installed
a new RBS oven and upgraded an older system to bolster
the line's capacity by 3 million lb. A significant investment
over time has driven the potential for growth throughout
the history of the company, according to Mr. Huggins.
Mr. Mann added that's what makes Pretzels, Inc., destined to succeed. "We're adding capacity to better service the industry," he said. "We're one of the few, if not
the only company, that continues to grow in the pretzel
market and invest in its assets. We're excited about that.
We're doing everything to make sure we're on top."
Going forward, the company's filled pretzels, seasoned
snacks and gluten-free or organic items are driving new
product sales, according to Mr. Huggins. "We're looking
to support entrepreneurs who want to create their own
pretzel brands," he said. "That's what we do, and we're
happy to look for new avenues for growth."
For Mr. Schaum, a long-time veteran of the snack industry, the chance to orchestrate the rapid startup of the
Plymouth facility - and guide its soon-to-be future expansion - is something that all operations experts hope
to experience in their careers.
"This is a dream plant," Mr. Schaum said. "You only
get the opportunity like this once in a lifetime."

46 Baking & Snack April 2018 / www.bakingandsnack.com

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Baking & Snack - April 2018

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